After a tough 1-2 loss on the road at Pittsburgh, NC State women’s soccer hopes to bounce back as it takes on Syracuse at home on Thursday.
Although the Wolfpack (6-5-4, 1-2-4 ACC) has not acquired a win in three games, the team has tied against the strong opponents, No. 1 Virginia and No. 20 Virginia Tech. The Wolfpack has received most of its points from ties in ACC play this season, which is what has held the team back the most. A win against Syracuse (3-9-2, 1-5-1 ACC), which has struggled to win games as well, is crucial for NC State’s standings in the very competitive ACC.
Syracuse’s offense is led by forward Meghan Root and defender Taylor Bennett. Root leads the team in points with seven, which has come from three goals and an assist. Despite being a defender, Bennett has accrued four points on the season from two goals. The Orange’s offense has struggled to find a groove all season, averaging 0.64 goals scored per game.
Syracuse’s defense has not looked very strong either, conceding an average of 1.50 goals per game. The Orange’s goalkeeper, Lysianne Prouix, has led the defense with 70 saves on an impressive 0.769 save percentage. Despite the decent play by Prouix in goal, the number of goals conceded per game has plagued Syracuse all season.
The Wolfpack offense is led by the offensive machine that is senior midfielder Tziarra King. King has accumulated an astounding 24 points this season from 10 goals and four assists. Impressive passing by senior midfielder Ricci Walkling has contributed significantly to the offense as well. Walkling has assisted on six goals this season while scoring a goal as well. The leadership and experience in the midfield have played a key part in holding the young offense together and managing to average 1.47 goals per game.
The Wolfpack defense has been just as strong as its offense, allowing less than a goal per game at 0.93. The NC State defense is led by junior goalkeeper Jessica Berlin, who has 35 saves and a save percentage of 0.729 on the season. The defensive success is also attributed to the relentless play of defenders sophomore Jenna Butler, redshirt sophomore Lulu Guttenberger and senior Krissi Schuster.
Although Syracuse has endured a rough season, every single game in the ACC is competitive, and no game can be taken lightly. Both the Wolfpack and Orange are hungry for a much-needed second win of the season.
The match will kick off Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at Dail Soccer Field and will be televised on the ACC Network Extra.
